Stoney Ground Herbs

Beautiful, strong herbs for NZ gardeners and herbalists of all levels

New Plants on the Books!

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Silver tansy, Tanacetum haradjanii
Silver tansy, Tanacetum haradjanii

As Spring is making itself known I’m getting a little more enthused about the coming season… Blossoms are like medicine for the soul aren’t they!

So I’ve been updating my website, working out what I’ve got, what I haven’t.. sadly I’ve had to let go of some plants as I admit defeat to this here climate, Pineapple sage is one, it does grow here, but not strong enough for me to be happy propagating from my mother plants.

But, I have added some new plants, yippee! Pictured above is one, beautiful Silver tansy is a low growing super interesting plant for the dry garden (or dry spot). Sweet violet, Self heal and Borage.

Sweet Violet, Viola odorata, plant for sale

I will also be adding Chocolate peppermint, oh yeah, if you like after dinner mints~ this is the one for you. Lemon bergamot; it’s an annual and I usually only do perennials but the flowers are so fabulous I’m bound to grow too many for just myself! Skullcap might be coming along, just waiting to see how my divisions leaf up, it’s looking pretty promising..

Stay tuned! (If you didn’t know already and you’re that way inclined, I’m on Instagram now and having a bit of fun on there, you can follow me here, https://www.instagram.com/stoneygroundherbs/)

Mid Winter Xmas Market

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Happy Matariki everyone! Hope you are doing lovely things with your whānau, remembering loved ones that have crossed over and excited about the new year…

If you’re not sure what Matariki is about, click here to find out more

I’m a little excited about this coming weekend because I’m going to be at a market and I NEVER have done a market at this time of year. The lovely little township of Greytown is currently having having a mid-winter Christmas celebration these school holidays and us regular stall holders at the Greytown Country Market are having a market this Saturday, the 18th July at the Town Hall.

photo courtesy of https://www.greytownvillage.com/

I will have a small selection of herbs (a lot of my herbs go to ground at this time of year) as well as freshly made kokedama for your indoor pleasure. I may even have some Chicken Winter Booster blends available.

kokedama will be for sale at the Greytown Market this Saturday, the 18th July 2020
An example of kokedama

Would absolutely love to see your shining faces, if I don’t know you please introduce yourself! If anyone whom has previously bought a kokedama off me and want it to have a tickle up give me a heads up and I’ll bring some gear with me and I can do it there.

Looking forward to it!

Plot Twist!

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I was really hoping I would still be able to provide dried herbs and tinctures for y’all during this weird ol’ period. I was even going to make up a whole lot of kokedama to sell online due to all my markets having been cancelled. But alas, I’m not an essential business, and couriers + NZ Post whom are essential, are only going to be collecting/delivering/posting essential business, business. So that’s me out. That’s Josh (husband/Industrial Fusion) out. Plot twist!

So, to keep myself entertained I’m going to do blog posts on how to entertain yourself and coping strategies. Maybe they’ll help you, maybe they won’t, but they’ll probably help me!

Whilst we’re still getting beautiful days get on out there into the garden, there’s still a few jobs to do. Collect seed, harvest and dry herbs, divide your clumping herbs .

Seed saving screen from LovePlantLife
Seed saving screens

A lot of herbs will self seed readily, but there are some that you might want to save just in case and it’s nice to share seeds. The seeds are found within the flowers, once the flowers start dying/drying off on the plant that’s when the seeds start hardening and you can start collecting. Store your seeds in paper envelopes, making sure the seeds are properly dry. Seed saving screens are good for seeds that need cleaning, not dirt hopefully, but husks or flower material etc. Here’s an ooold post about using seed saving screens.

Collecting seed pods for decoration is a lovely thing to do, take the time to appreciate their beauty…

Echinacea
Monarda didyma
Monarda fistulosa

For other autumn jobs in the herb garden go to this post here that I wrote around about this time last year. If you want to get straight into the dividing of your herbs go here.

It breaks my heart every time I see advice on drying (leaf) herbs and they show or tell you to hang your herbs in a nice sunny spot. If you want dull, non flavoured and possibly fly speckled herbs then by all mean dry your herbs in the sun. If you want herbs with as much as their original colour and flavour as well as their (medicinal) volatile oils, dry in a warm, well ventilated dark space. Hot water cupboards are great as are attics if easily accessible. You want them crispy dry, flowers take longer than you think to dry (if they’re going in a vase it’s not a biggy, but if they’re going in a jar you want to make sure they’re dry all the way through, mouldy flowers are so very disappointing).

Dried red clover

Keep busy my people, stay connected, to the earth and to your loved ones. If you know a health worker or supermarket worker send them as much aroha as you can! Stay well, stay at home 🌿❤

End of Season

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Just a quick note to say that I’m all sold out of herb plants for the season but I would still love to hear from you of what you’re after. It gives me a good idea on how much to propagate through the autumn and winter months.

I still have kokedama plants available, I will be at Martiborough Fair this Saturday (7th March 2020), tagging along with Industrial Fusion. I will also be at the Kimbolton Sculpture Festival on the 4th April. Perhaps somehow I’ll even work out how to sell my kokedama here on my website!

Corkscrew rush (Juncus effusus "Spiralis") kokedama
Corkscrew rush (Juncus effusus “Spiralis”) kokedama

OK, hope you’re getting a bit of rain at the moment wherever you are…and a bit of dryness if you’re down south!

(If you are getting a smattering of rain, water your garden, this is the time to do it so that whatever rain comes actually gets absorbed through to the roots.)

A Thank You and Happy New Year!

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Cornflower with Honeywort flowers

Well me oh my, I totally dropped the ball this December for writing here on my blog.

I’m still in existence!

Just been super busy with markets, kids, gardens, visitors, birthdays, Xmas and a massive dried herb order. And now it’s nearly the start of a new decade!

The side herb garden.

This time last year I was feeling a bit dark about the future of Stoney Ground Herbs. seems the universe was listening and responded with a “Hell no!”.

Amazing and fun opportunities have come come up for SGH this past year, and you, my fellow herb geeks and plant lovers are part of that. So thank you for reading here, thank you for buying my plants, thank you for being the wild crazy nature based spirit riders that a lot of you are (I’m not alone!) and thank you for the balancers. ✨

I hope your gardens are thriving, it’s been a funny season here at Plum Tree Cottage (we recently discovered our property has a name!). We’re about 2-4 weeks behind in usual flowering/ripening times.

Early Duffs plums, a little late in ripening
These plums are usually ready by Christmas day, another week or so to go this year

I’m still getting used to this cool climate gardening, still finding out what works and what doesn’t, more often than not, the hard way! Ironically the sun is becoming a challenge as well. I’ve briefly mentioned this before and it is something I intend to go into further. But for now, briefly again, a lot of the herbs that traditionally thrive in full sun are starting to find it a little tu meke (too much) with its intensity.

Luckily, herbs are incredibly adaptable and we too are adaptable~ if we have to change our gardening styles or ideas and beliefs, or even just move our plants around, so be it.

We Must Grow!

The year 2020 astrologically wise seems to be focused on transformative energy, ‘destruction and rebuilding’. **

Tūngia te ururua kia tupu whakaritorito te tupu o te harakeke

Set the overgrown bush alight, and the new flax shoots will spring up.

A whaktaukī about clearing away what is bad so that the good can flourish.

Stay grounded, keep your hands in the earth, listen to your song, peace, grow.

Image by Jan Bett

Happy New Year!

xx SandRa

**For full astrological forecast for 2020 go here to Forever Conscious.

Coming Near You Soon!

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Corkscrew rush (Juncus effusus "Spiralis") kokedama
Corkscrew rush (Juncus effusus “Spiralis”) kokedama

We had a an imposed computer free week this past week (it spontaneously broke, as computers do and had a bit of a wait for a replacement). It felt a lot longer than a week! We have our phones of course which are pretty clever (and now I’m on Instagram!) but there are a few things that are easier (or preferred) to do on the computer. Emailing, updating website, listening to music! I’m one of those people that find it hard to concentrate if I don’t have music on, I’m sure I’m not the only one…. Eh?

Fortunately it’s a busy time of year and have been occupied with plenty to do, from the mundane (but satisfying) weeding to having a stall at various markets. This weekend I’m at Te Horo Country Market on the 3rd November. Kapiti people, I’m looking forward to seeing your faces again!

I’m away in Australia the next week for my brothers wedding. It’s in NSW where their temperature lows have been our highs, hoo-wee, wish me luck in avoiding heat stroke!

Soon after I get back I’m at Woodvilles’ Mad Hatters Market, should be fun, 17th November is the date. I’ll have all my selection of herbs, plus dried herbs and my new product, kokedama.

My kokedama has been getting a really good reception. It’s about 50:50 of people that have seen kokedama before. So I’m guessing that 50% of you that are reading this may not of come across kokedama either. So please read my next article and I’ll tell you all about it.

Goldfish plant (Hypocyrta tropicana) hanging kokedama in my sons room
Goldfish plant (Hypocyrta tropicana) hanging kokedama in my sons room

One thing that I’ve been absolutely loving is how it attracts children (except when they start batting the hanging ones around!). Most kids just walk on by my stall, plants, boring. But hanging balls of plants makes them stop… “Oh, wow, cool!”…..”Oh, wow, is it a pineapple?” All fun!

So, hope your garden is getting into the spring swing of things, the weeds aren’t getting too tall and you can feel that summer vibe coming~

White sage, purple sage and climbing rosemary

Quietly busy times

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There’s been a bit of a hiatus on my writing posts of late due to having started studying,

I’m doing He Papa Tikanga through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and I’m loving it. I have no idea what it will lead into but it’s rocking my socks and that’s enough for me.

It’s great to have something to do whilst there’s nothing doing in the garden except navigating mud!

Though that’s not entirely true, I’ve just planted four new fruit trees- again through Edible Garden. This year we got an apricot (Moorpark), a plumcott (a cross between a plum and an apricot), a dwarf peach (Kotare Honey) and a dual pear (Red Bartlett and Doyenne du Comice).

I also have just recently pruned our other fruit trees. If you haven’t done this yet (get onto it!) and are new to the game I highly recommend Kath Irvines book Pruning Fruit Trees, A Beginners Guide. (Click here to get a copy or check it out.) It is bloody brilliant, easy to follow with great illustrations~ reading it is like having a conversation with Kath, where you’re asking all the right questions! I have used it for my ancient apples and plums, my second year apples and my new bare rooted trees, my currants and my espaliered fig.

Kath Irvine's book Pruning Fruit Trees: A Beginners Guide
Worth every penny… or make someone super grateful to you (thank you Glenbo, I am grateful!)

Flash Sale!!

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Is that what they call it?

All my plants are getting too big for their pots and I’m finding places to plant them out..

This is an old photo and not accurate to what I have left..

So get in QUICK before I find homes for them here.

All plants* are $4 each (plus P&P). Here’s what I have left…..

  • Garlic chives

*All plants except White sage

So use that ol’ contact form there to put in your order, remember to give me your address, go to Ordering Your Plants for all the details that you and I need to know. Very limited stock so get in quick!!!

End of Two Eras

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Tomorrow (16th Dec) I’m at the Greytown Country Market; it most likely will be my last market ever (I will still be selling my plants etc online).

  I’m also turning 40 tomorrow.

To be frank with you, whomever you are, things have not gone well for Stoney Ground Herbs since moving here (been here over a year now, ‘here’ being Eketahuna).  I’m quite sad about this.  I know I should be saying things like “I’m moving into another phase of my life” or something else that doesn’t imply that my business is going to shit and I’ve been losing money for two years now.  But today I can’t be arsed, I’m just a bit down about it all.  I really thought that this year things would come together and be amazing.  This is my fifth season and the boat is sailing away from me. 

It’s true that Eke has a different climate and I’m still getting my head and ways around how to garden with crap weather.  But it’s more that I haven’t got a weekly market to go to where people like/appreciate my plants enough for it be worth my while travelling to said imaginary market and paying the stall fee.

Online sales have been VERY slow this year, sure there’s lots of white sage lovers out there but I’m sorry, I don’t want to base my business on one plant, one fickle slow growing plant at that!

I still absolutely love herbs and I love sharing my knowledge but with all of the above I’m another small business going under.  Do I wind this website up?  I’m not sure, I’m not entirely sure that a lot of people read my blog anyway, are you still reading this??  Well done you and thanks.  Should I even publish this?  What if this is just a wee glitch?  What if I’m being too honest or am I not honest enough?  Maybe I’m not trying hard enough.  Or should I just embrace that whole I’m turning forty thing and not give a fuck?

So there we have it.  I’m a gonna go make my birthday cake and maybe I’ll see you at Greytown.

P.S.  It’s not all doom and gloom, honest, I’ll post a much chipper entry before Xmas!